DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
2011
Jan
23
 
 
Although he's made himself toxic wherever he's worked, CNN probably would be wise to make itself the next waystop in Keith Olbermann's checkered career. The slot currently occupied by the network's failed and flailing Parker Spitzer would be perfect for the oft-bombastic Olbermann, who could resume competing against The O'Reilly Factor and now Lawrence O'Donnell in MSNBC's 8 p.m. ET hour...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
21
 
 
Decades before Neil Patrick Harris was Barney Stinson, the prodigal, he played Doogie Howser, the prodigy. Since late last year, lucky viewers have been learning that -- hot as "How I Met Your Mother" may be -- Harris shined even more brightly in his first series, "Doogie Howser, M.D." The entertaining and thoughtful writing, bullseye casting and enlightened production of this four-season comedy about a boy-genius physician give it a singular spot on the list of extraordinary TV...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
21
 
 
The latest contributions from our ever-expanding, ever-surprising TV WORTH WATCHING roster of writers are worth trumpeting, so here I go, reaching for the brass horn. TVWW correspondent Tom Brinkmoeller lands an exclusive interview with TV writer-producer Steven Bochco as they revisit "Doogie Howser, M.D." ...And our newest correspondent, David Sicilia, takes time off from his professorial duties as an expert on business history to analyze the CBS reality series "Undercover Boss"...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
21
 
 
So it's "back to the balcony" with the new school Siskel & Ebert, who feel remarkably like the old school Siskel & Ebert, despite being the next generation of film criticism. Friday night's PBS premiere episode of "Ebert Presents At the Movies" reveals not some "reimagining" of TV's original movie review show, but the soul of that show beautifully reincarnated in two people who clearly love movies, and love discussing movies...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
20
 
 
As the U.S. economy limps along and, intones the somber narrator of Undercover Boss on CBS, "public distrust of wealthy CEOs remains high, more and more bosses are looking for radical ways to reconnect with their workforce." This reality show's answer each week is to dress up the "boss of a major corporation" as an entry-level worker, and send him or her incognito to see what it's REALLY like out there...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
20
 
 
The newly revamped American Idol on Fox returned this week, with a heavily edited recap of mass auditions in New Jersey (Wednesday) and New Orleans (Thursday). We won't know the true strengths and weaknesses of the new judges' lineup until the live shows begin. In the meantime, if the show's producers didn't pull out all the stops on day one, they sure did pull out all the old tricks...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
20
 
 
Living in the Northeast, I hate winter. I really do. But for nearly a decade, one of the things that made winter a little more tolerable was the arrival of "American Idol" in January. I am an unabashed fan of this wacky and wonderful series. Or at least I used to be...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
18
 
 
The Civil War, the landmark 1990 documentary miniseries that put Ken Burns and company on the map (on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line), is being repeated in April, PBS announced today. It's timed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the actual Civil War... give or take a few days...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
18
 
 
No doubt Piers Morgan will succeed on CNN, or at least survive on the CNN scale, which pretty much means his show will continue, like The New Adventures of Old Christine, which stayed on the air until it didn't. I have a feeling Piers will be like that. For CNN, that's an improvement, recognition-wise...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jan
17
 
 
Starz has indeed recast the lead role in its graphic drama series "Spartacus," which star Andy Whitfield left after the first season for cancer treatment. [That's Whitfield in the photo.] Liam McIntyre, another Australian actor, will take over the role in a second season shooting in the southern hemisphere this spring...